Paris Pictures (finally!)

I'm finally getting down to the computer to post some pics of our oh-so-fabulous trip. Here you go!

Day 1:

We got off the plane into rainy, rainy Paris. We mostly walked a really long way down the Champs Elysses in the pouring rain, ate our first (of many, frankly!) chocolate croissants and found Luke the requisite matchbox car (a Peugot, which he can now say with a perfect French accent). We had dinner at a fabulous restaurant called La Gare in an old train station and ate our first (again, of many) molten chocolate cakes.

Me standing in front of the Arc de Triumph

We also started our chocolate tour -- here is a store fron of a place called Laduree. Fabulous macaroons. Big long wait so we didn't get to sit down for some hot chocolate like we wanted to.
Day 2

Really beautiful day, sunny finally. We went up to Montemartre to one of my favorite places - Painter's Square. I love the atmosphere up there quaint little streets, fabulous little shops, beautiful artwork, great people watching. We walked down to Moulin Rouge and basically traipsed all over the city and hit a few more chocolate shops.

Day 3

We went to the Musee Dorsee, the impressionist museum in the morning. This is my favorite museum in Paris. I had forgotten what a beautiful collection they have -- rooms full of Monet, Renoir, Degas. I especially love the Van Gogh collection -- he's always been one of my favorites. We then walked around by Notre Dame and saw Saint Sulpice (another huge, beautiful cathedral - now famous to us from the DaVinci Code). I think this was one of my favorite things of the whole trip. We ended up there right during a Catholic Mass, which they were singing. It was the most beautil thing -- this gorgeous prayer being sung in French in the middle of this centuries old cathedral. We then saw something neither of us had seen before -- Saint Chappelle, the chapel inside the old palace and next to the Conciergerie -- parlaiment turned prison and site where Marie Antionette was kept prior to her execution. The chapel was absolutely breathtaking. Surrounded by huge stained glass windows it depicts bible scenes. We ate dinner at the absolute best restaurant we'd ever been too - roasted veggies topped with goat cheese, this fabulous monk fish dish and, of course, molten chocolate cake for dinner. Then we walked around down by the Eiffel tower at night and took a boat cruise of the Seine.

Saint Chapelle

Ken and I on the boat cruise



Day 3:

We had planned on seeing the Catacombes but they were closed - for renovations. How do you renovate centuries old graves, seriously? Ken was pretty bummed but we still had a great afternoon -- finding more chocolate shops, eating more crepes (one a day!) and wandering around the city. That night we ate with Ken's work folk. On the most expensive street in Paris. When you looked out the window you could see the Eiffel tower in the distance and all the designer shops below -- Chanel, Dior, Hermes, etc, etc. Evidently all of the design studios for these companies are in the buildings above. Some great window drooling!

I'm evidently extremely excited about that crepe

Ken and I after our very ritzy dinner (notice the Bulgari sign in the background)

Phew! That's it for now. I've got some more pics of our weekend in Utah I'll hopefully get to eventually as well.